Focusing sight for signal lamps



Aug. 18. 1925.

V 1,549,754 E. A. EVERETT FOCUING SIGHT FOR SIGNAL LAMPS Filed Aug. l1. 1924 2 Sheets-Shear I Aug. 18, 1925.1 1,549,754

E. A. EVERETT FGCUSING SIGHT FOR SIGNAL LAMPS Filed Aug. 11. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i nation for railway signal lightsand which Patented` Aug.' ,18, 1925.

nnwann A. nv'nan'rr, or LoNe ISLAND crrY, NEW Yofax.

FOCUSING SIGHT FOR SIGNAL LAIIPKS.

application nien auguraI 11, 1924. ,serial No. 'varata To all/whom# may camerati Beit known'that I, EDWARD A. jvigmgfyr,V

a Vcitizen of the United States, .and a resident or Long island City, New York, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements s in Focusing Sights for Signal Lamps, of which the following is a` specification. 4 f s v f .This invention relates to signaling lamps and particularly to a focusing sight which `V`is 'embodied in the lamp for the purpose of1 bringing the source'of light into the focus ff the lensgand it has or an object to provide' a sight .of this kind which is an integral part of the'lamp housing and which enables thesource of light to be positioned in three planes at right angles to each other.'

`-These and other objects of the inventionv will be more fully understood from the Jfollowing specification and the accompanying drawings, in' which, Fig. 1 ,is aside eleva= tionof a lamp housing wlth the lcover re-` l moved havingmy' invention-in place, Fig. 2

is. an elevation from the rear looking towards the lens Fig. Sis a plan view corre spondingf-toV ig.- 2, Fig.' Itv is an enlarged view Iofthe sighting device, a modiicatlon of'Fi 3 showing its relation to an electric lamp ulb, Fig. 5 isa plan view and Fig. 6

is an elevation showing my inventionv used Iwith multiplelens lamps.

Thev introduction of lamp .bulbs of the concentrated lament type has mfadepossible` theuse of such bulbs as a source of illumimay be vcontrolled bythe regular signal cir- I i cuits. l The filament in bulbs of this type is Q confined to a small point and .for proper resultsit` is necessary'tha't this point be located in the focal centre of the. lens. The

bulb, itself;7 is usually mounted l'upon an adjustable stand so that by a screw'adjustment, the filament can be brought ,into the exact position ,desired.` The present inven` tion is directed to a vmeans whereby this exact position of focus can readily be deter- `filament, can bevsighted in daylightwithout 4being -illuminated andit can be sighted at' mined within the lamp housing itself.I This comprises apermanent xture ywith a'sighting arrangement at rightangleswhich can be brought-to bear upon, the filament. The

nightby itsown illumination. Y

are brought The invention com rises a bracket'in the form of a` casting-w ich is xedly riveted to the lamp housing. This bracket has a pair of spaced arms with aligned sights and at rightv angles thereto another pair' of spaced arms with aligned sights. The bracket is so located that the intersection of these sights is the focal point desired and when the-filament is sighted through both sets of arms it is in the focalcentre of thev lens. This bracket is located behind the lamp, does not require a special lens and does not obstruct the light between the bulb-v andthe lens. v As the filament is located outslde of the sights it can only. be seen vas a spoty through the sights so that, if illuminated, the glare from the light does not prevent accurate findings.

Referring to the drawings, 11 is the lamp housing which, as shown, 1s constructed according to the Railway Signal Association standards. The cover of this housing is not shown lin, the drawings. The lens 12 secured. in front of the lamp housing, pro .jects the light from biilb V16 and the object -.is to locate the bulb filament in the focal centre of this lens. The jaws 13 receive the supporting bracket which is centered on 15 and clamped by' 4the screws 14. This supporting bracket is not shown in the drawings.

The lamp l bulb 16 vis supported by the plate 17 which is fadjustably positioned by the screws, 18, 19 and 20 relative to the base 421.*which is secured to the bottom of the lamp housing. This support is more fully described [inv my co-pending application,

Serial No. 686,574, led January 16, 1924. The wires for the circuit of the lamp bulb intofthe housing through the opening 22.

' The sighting bracket 25,' is preferably ymade -from a casting and riveted to the side 26 of the lam housing as shown. The arm 27 is provide with a sight hole 29 and the arm 28 is provided "with the sight hole 30 on the line a. At right angles to the arms 27 and 28 is,..thearm 31 provided with the sight hole '32 and on line b Fig. 3` a sight hole 33 is provided in the wall 26. Linesl a and. b are on the same horizontal plane and line a is on the axial centre of thelens 12. The bracket is located so that line 67 is lspaced the focal distance backV from the lens. It is apparent therefore that the intersection of lines and b is thefocal point desired.

The lamp bulb is adjusted until the filament is sighted on line a and is again adjusted until it is sighted on line Z), the final adjustment bringing the lament into the shown in Fig. 3 for sighting purposes. In

the style of bracket shown in Fig. 4 a large hole 38 is drilled in side 26 on the sight line b and a lug 36 is provided on the bracket 25 With the sight hole 37 aligning with 32. In

this construction the bracket can be drilled on the side lines before it is assembled in the housing and the large hole 38 does not have to be accurately positioned with reference to the sight line.

It is apparent that arms may be formed in the casting itself to perform the functions of bracket 25` which may be provided with .sights as shown located with reference to the lens, the latter and the. sights having aA Xed relation to each other.

The system described relates to a lam with a single lens. When a plurality of lenses are used in the same housing it is apparent that the sighting device might intercept the light to some of the lenses if con- A structed of a solid piece as shown in Fig. 4.

The sighting device, therefore, is made collapsible on a pivot so that it may be turned out of the plane of the lenses and brought into use as desired by bringing the pivoted member to bear against a stop.

The lantern in Fig. 5 has a plurality of lenses 41, 42, 43 and 44.supported by the housin 45. These lenses are all illuminated from t e central source at o and the lantern is so constructed that o is the focal centre of all of the lenses. If, therefore, the source of light is properly focused at 0 for one lens it will be in the focus` of the other lenses.

The sighting device comprises the bracket 51 with the upstanding arms 52 and 53 on the sight line a and the u standing arms 54 and 55 on-the sight lineli which is on the same plane and at right angles to a. Formed integral with 51 is the vertical support 56 which is pivoted at 57 to the fixed bracket 58. A lug 59 on 58 carries the stop screw 60'whereby the vertical osition of 56 may be adjusted. Sprin olds 5 6 in position against the stop. T e bracket 51 moving on the pivot 57 may be turned into the position 55 Indicated in dotted outline at p whereV it rests on the bottom of the housing. In this position it Will be noted that the sighting device is removed from the plane of the lenses which can be fully illuminated from the central source.

' The device is in the sighting position when the sights align with lines a and b, the stop screw 60 may be used to bring it into this position. It is found in practice that a sight may be taken through a lens to the light when it is illuminated, or of course the lens may be removed for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a lamp housing having a lens and a bracket secured within said housing having a device with a plurality of sights at right angles to each other arranged to sight directly upon the focal centre of said lens said device pivotally supported and held in position by a spring.

2. In combination, a lamp housing having a lens, a source of illumination for said lens adjustably positioned in said housing and a device with a pair of sight arms within said housing on the side of said source away from said lens arranged on the axial line of said lens, said device pivotally supported and held in position by a spring.

3. In combination, a lamp housing having a lens, a source of illumination for said lens adjustably positioned in said housing, a pair of sight arms arranged on the axial line of p said lens and another pair of sight arms ar ranged to intersect the axial line of said lens at right angles, said sight arms located entirely within said housing and to one side of said sourceof illumination.

4. In combination, a lamp housing having a lens, a source of illumination for said lens adjustably positioned in said housing, a bracket secured to and entirely within said housing having a pair of arms with a sight and a second pair of arms with a sight at right angles to the first sight, said bracket located so that the direct sights from said arms intersect at the focal point of said lens.

5. In combination, a lamp housing having a plurality of lenses at right angles to each other, a source of illumination for said lenses, and a pivotally supported si hting device Wholly within said housing for loeating said source in the focal centre of said lenses, said device capable of moving on said pivot out of the plane of said lenses.

6. In combination, a lamp housing having a plurality of lenses at right angles to each other, a source of illumination for said lenses, a sighting device entirely within said housing having a plurality of intersectin si'ghts for locating saidv source in the focaI centre of said lenses and means whereby said f sighting device may 7. In combination, a lamp housing having a plurality of lenses at vright angles to each other, a source of illumination for said lenses, a sighting device having a plurality of intersectlng sights for locating said source in the :focal centre of said lenses and positioned between said source and one of said lenses, said device pivotally supported by .said housing and capable of folding clear of the plane of said lenses.

A8. In combination, a lam housing having a ApluralityT of lenses at rig t angles to each other, a source of illumination for said lenses, a sighting device having a plurality of intersecting sightsV for locating said source in the focal centre of said lenses, said" device 15 capable of moving out of the sighting plane and adjustably su ported by said housing.

Signed `at New 'gork in the county of New York and State of New York this 25 day of July A. D. 1924. Y

K EDWARD A, EvERETr. i 

